Costa Rica notched the first giant-killing of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, downing Uruguay 3-1 in a remarkable encounter in Fortaleza.

Edinson Cavani gave la Celeste the lead with a penalty in the first half, but Los Ticos struck back with three super strikes in the second half. Joel Campbell, Oscar Duarte and Marcos Urena all scored. Uruguay manager Oscar Tabarez equipped his team with a faulty approach, which the Costa Rica side exploited.

Uruguay adopted a pretty basic 4-4-2 formation with Christian Stuani and Cristian Rodriguez on the wings. Edinson Cavani and Diego Forlan dove-tailed up front, but they largely maintained a two-man front.

Costa Rica played their customary 5-3-2 formation with no personnel shocks. Yeltsin Tejeda and Celso Borges started in midfield with Campbell on his own up front.

The rest of his game—close control, heading and linking—leaves a lot to be desired, though, and the Ticos really struggled to create sustained periods of pressure or goalscoring chances.

Nevertheless, Costa Rica took an astonishing lead in the second half, leveling through Campbell and then going ahead through a superb Oscar Duarte goal. Set pieces and commitment: That's all it took.

Response

Tabarez immediately threw on Nicolas Lodeiro and Alvaro Gonzalez, placing the former up front alongside Cavani and the latter somewhere in midfield. Rodriguez continued to bomb forward on the left, but the critical change in terms of approach play was the use of Maxi Pereira.

The right-back has long been a weapon surging forward and holding the width, but the Uruguayan mysteriously spent the first 65 minutes reserved in his role. With a lead needed, the Benfica man began buccaneering down the wing with more regularity and getting on the ball.

But the general approach, the direction of the passes and the starting of attacks remained disappointingly narrow-minded and straight.

Costa Rica scored a magnificent third goal to seal the win through Marcos Urena, and Uruguay are the first giants "killed" in this tournament.